Geology of Route 66 Region

Following along portions of historic Route 66, the 64th annual New Mexico Geological Society’s fall field conference travels through the spectacular geology of northeastern Arizona and western New Mexico. Beginning with one of most remarkable geologic phenomena on Earth — the Grand Canyon — the trip visits a wide variety of features in the Route 66 region between Flagstaff and Grants, including other national parks and monuments, such as Wupatki, Sunset Crater, Petrified Forest and El Malpais.

As the trip crosses this remarkable terrain, the topics discussed include everything from Proterozoic basement rocks to Neogene volcanism, with Paleozoic and Mesozoic sedimentary rocks in between. Detailed road logs describe the regional geology and history along the route, plus additional optional side stops. This volume also includes 14 technical manuscripts, as well as shorter mini papers, covering topics from mineral resources, hydrogeology, geoscience education, and volcanology to geomorphology and geochronology, with additional highlights to the regions’ history, art and archaeology.